Category: Education & Innovation

Four students of Whitesands School, Lekki (William Afolabi {Team Leader}, Mordi Menashi, Famobiwo Olubusuyi and Ugbo Osagumwenro) – Team Neon who represented Nigeria and Africa at the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge have emerged the 2018 Power Pitch winner of the Smoke-Free World category of the competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Florida, USA.

The Smoke-Free category challenged students who are presently in JSS2 to develop a marketable and innovative idea that can help in reducing smoking and at the same time provide an economic solution to challenges facing tobacco farmers in developing countries.

Thus, the students with the supervision of their coach, Mr. Matthew Omostosho developed an app they called Virtual Farm, which they presented at the final of the science competition. They were the only representatives from Nigeria and Africa in the finals and they have reportedly received Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Good Citizen award among other prizes.

The US Conrad Spirit Of Innovation Challenge is an international innovation competition comprised of five categories: Aerospace Aviation, Cyber Technology and Security, Energy and Environment, Health and Nutrition, and Smoke-Free World.

Participants are expected to develop a marketable and innovative idea that can solve a real-world problem by using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) principles.

This annual competition challenges teams to use science, technology, engineering and math innovation, as well as entrepreneurship, to create a more sustainable world for today and the future generations.

16-year-old Oluwatofunmi Oteju has been awarded the Emerging Leader of the Year award for 2018 by Augsburg University, United States of America.

The Emerging Leader of the Year award recognizes students who participated in the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) during 2017 fall semester and a platform used by the University to celebrate students who demonstrated active involvement in student activities, student governance, and student life at Augsburg during the academic year.

Continue reading Oluwatofunmi Oteju Awarded Augsburg University’s 2018 Emerging Leader Of The Year Award

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has received the 2018 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers award.

The 2018 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers award was presented at Poets & Writers’ annual dinner in celebration of writers, in New York City.

The Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award celebrates authors who have given generously to other writers or to the broader literary community.

The award, which is presented each year at Poets & Writers’ annual dinner, is named for Barnes & Noble in appreciation of its long-standing support.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was honoured for her work with the Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop in Nigeria.

The Nigerian author was honoured alongside other writers, Steve Cannon, and Richard Russo.

Susan Isaacs is the chairman of Poets & Writers’ Board of Directors and also the chair of the committee charged with selecting the honorees.

According to Susan Isaacs:

“We receive nominations from writers, publishing professionals, and others in the literary community. From the information about the nominees and their accomplishments, we select three writers and an editor who exemplify Poets & Writers’ core values: service, integrity, inclusivity, and excellence.

This year’s honorees are models of those qualities. The Board is delighted to be able to honour them. Their work makes me proud to be part of this community.”

According to Poets & Writers:

“The three writers we honor this year have not only expanded our horizons through their own writing, they are dedicated to supporting other writers and to bringing diverse voices into the literary conversation.”

Edo University Iyamho has commissioned the first Anatomage Table by any medical training institution in Nigeria.

The Vice Chancellor of the Edo University Iyamho, Engr. (Professor) Emmanuel Aluyor, made this disclosure on the 23rd of March 2018 during the University’s 2nd Founder’s Day, held at Iyamho in Etsako West local government area of the State.

According to the Engr. Emmanuel Aluyor, an Anatomage Table is the most technologically advanced anatomy visualization system in the world for anatomy education, which has been adopted by many of the world’s leading medical schools.

Engr. Emmanuel Aluyor further disclosed that Edo University is one of the four medical training institutions in Nigeria with power lab system for teaching Physiology and Pharmacology, adding that the clinical skills laboratory when fully operational, will compete with other leading medical schools in the continent.

The University management also recently signed memorandum of understanding for partnership with two foreign universities, namely, Worcester State University, Massachusetts, United States of America, and the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom.

Professor Aluyor said the partnerships would afford some students of the institution the opportunity to spend between one and two years abroad in the students’ exchange programme, to complete their training in approved programmes.

He said that the University has made history within its two years of existence, having just been adjudged the best State-owned University in Nigeria and 3rd out of 160 Universities assessed by the National Universities Commission (NUC), in the Open Educational Resources (OER) ranking recently.

In the words of Professor Aluyor:

“Achieving this feat just within two years of its existence further shows that the vision of the University to become a centre of excellence​ in quality teaching, research, innovations and community development is being vigorously pursued in order to live up to its motto ‘Quality Education for Development’.”

13-year-old Jimoh Khairat Onize has emerged as the second runner up of the British Council Writing Competition.

Jimoh Khairat attends Dependable International School, Niger State. Her story titled “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress” was judged to be the third best among the numerous entries received worldwide in the 11-14 years old category of the Commonwealth Class Children’s Short Story Writing Competition.

The other top entries of the British Council Writing Competition are:

• First place: Christmas Wish by Ren-Wei Yip, Malaysia
• Second place: Peace by Elena Gourley, Northern Ireland UK

An additional story in this category was awarded ”highly commended” by the judging panel.

According to the comments of the Judges as regards to Jimoh Khairat’s story:

“This is a tragic story about war, but with a hopeful ending. It contains an important message about young peoples’ voices being heard, and moments of detail create a strong sense of place and atmosphere.”

Excerpts from Jimoh Khairat’s story:

{Justice is blind.

The scourge of poverty has taken away the days of bumper harvest, days when I had surplus to eat. My stomach rumbles like rocks rolling down a volcano about to erupt: the repulsive smell from smouldering corpses for breakfast, wild fruits for lunch and putrid trash scavenged for dinner. The poison arrows of separation, parents from children. Poor orphans like me seek protection in the rainforest of southern Nigeria as the only dwelling place. The ruckus from nearby villages gives me no certitude of life for the morrow. This forced escapade only brings unrestricted imaginations of the future: a united and peaceful Nigeria.

…

The day came when I saw my best friend, Ella, lying down lifeless under a banana tree, bereft, I risked all I had left – my life. I waded through the mud barefooted, towards the direction of the non indulgent militants; the sound from marching boots led the way. A hefty grip held me and I was blindfolded, presented to their leader – a man at the brink of old age – whom I saw after the blindfold was removed… “I’d die anyway, although it’s worse than not trying”, I’d thought, so I began to speak, “Enough blood has been shed already, Nigeria is ours and we cannot disintegrate her, dialogue is paramount to ensuring a realistic victory for our cause, until you realise, united we stand, divided we fall, until then, peace or annihilation.” To my greatest surprise he believed me! Surrendering but not defeated, the southern activists decided to annul the idea of disintegration.

As I stand before a crowd united at heart, having done for my country, something heroic. Peace henceforth even forever.}

Roseben Anyanwu has emerged winner of the 8th Korea-Nigeria Poetry Feast, with a winning cash prize of ₦100,000.

Roseben Anyanwu’s poem: “Roma” topped the list for the adult category at the event organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria to mark the World Poetry Day on March 21, 2018.

Also, Oko Owoicho’s poem “We will sing water” came second with a total prize money of ₦75,000 while the third (cash) prize of ₦50,000 went to Rilwan Adelaja for his poem “The Cyclist”.

Seven other poets from the category got the sum of ₦25,000 each as consolation prizes.

Similarly, from the Junior category including secondary schools, Ameerah Adunola from Government Secondary school, Dutse, emerged overall winner for her poem, “Path Way” and was awarded ₦50,000.

Praise Acha, from African Child College Abuja emerged first runner up with her poem “The Path” was given ₦30,000. Gift Ngwuli clinched the second runner up position with her poem “Lyrics of Old” and got ₦20,000.

Seven other students got ₦10,000 each as consolation prizes at the 8th Korea-Nigeria Poetry Feast.

Han Sungrae, Director of the KCCN, said for eight years in a row, the centre has offered Nigerians the platform to express themselves and show their talent using poetry.

Sungrae, who was represented by Jee Meeyoun, a Cultural Assistant at the centre, said that the 2018 response to the call for entry into the poetry competition was positive.

In his words:

“This year, we received a record submission in the adult category with 505 poems; from the secondary school category, we got 78 poems from seven schools in the Federal Capital Territory.

The best 10 poems from each category have been carefully selected by independent judges for the awards.

We thank all poets that have sent in entries especially those whose poems were not selected, we implore you not to relent in your quest to excel.”

Alhaji Oladimeji Hassan, Secretary of FCT Social Development Secretariat in his keynote address, said:

“I have no doubt that this poetic exercises is not only intended to be enjoyed but also to spur the creative ingenuity among writers that will produce powerful poets that will build the future of this nation.

I will continue to encourage and support these creative minds in which lies the root of our collective growth and development as a nation.”

Dot Learn, an online video e-learning company located in Nigeria, has won $25,000 Edtech Prize in the ‘Next Billion’ Edtech Prize launched by The Varkey Foundation to recognise the most innovative technology destined to have a radical impact on education in low income and emerging world countries.

Nigerian-based Dot Learn, emerged a runner-up, which makes online video e-learning accessible on slow, expensive internet connections for users in low-income countries. TeachMeNow, also a runner-up, is a marketplace that connects teachers, experts, and mentors based in the UAE.

Dot Learn, co-founded by Tunde Alawode, Sam Bhattacharyya and Thomas Richmann, was among the three winners awarded $25,000 as well as the unique opportunity to pilot their technology in partner schools in Western Cape, South Africa.

According to the CEO and Co-founder of Dot Learn, Sam Bhattacharyya:

“We are very strong believers that education technology is the future and that more students when they see online video, they will be more prone to study online because learning now is about technology.”

The inaugural ‘Next Billion’ Edtech Prize was won by Chatterbox; an online solution – online language school, which gives refugees the chance to work both online and in-person as language tutors.

The prize is worth £18,900 and the winner gets an opportunity to pilot their technology in partner schools in Western Cape, South Africa.

The £18,900 prize will go towards Chatterbox’s target of reaching £350,000, which will help it expand its network beyond the UK to other countries with large refugee populations for whom there are few economic opportunities.